You can't make this stuff up. Targeted by a convicted Ebay frauster?
Sold two identical items to a buyer and shipped them in the same package. After delivery, buyer contacts me to claim there was only one in the package. I verified the shipping weight, which indicated there were two in the package (100% certain, I've been selling these for years and know the weights inside and out). He asked me to send the other that he "did not receive". I didn't respond, and an hour or so later he sends another message and says he likes a couple others I have for sale, and if he were to buy those I could put the "missing one" in the package when I send them. Odd, but OK seeing as I run 3 for 2 specials on these often I'd just throw one in as it won't cost anything. Well, the next day he doesn't just buy two, he buys two each of three different ones for a total of 6. At this point I can see what's coming - he's going to claim he didn't receive all of the items.
So I started poking around. Looked at his feedback, nothing really there since buyers can't get negatives and he isn't selling anything. Googled his account name, found a single blog post about an issue that could have been fraud related but didn't really give enough information. Then I googled his name and city. What came up was the usual people finder stuff, plus a Justia case for US vs xxxx in which a man with the same name was convicted of 27 counts of mail fraud relating to Ebay and sentenced to 4 years in prison. The city he lived in at the time of conviction is different than now, but the conviction was quite some time ago and the people finder websites list both cities under the addresses section. So while not 100%, it sure as heck looks like this guy is a fraudster. It's certainly enough to make me not want to do business with him.
What are my options here? I can report him to Ebay (which probably won't do anything), report him to the PD in his city (which probably won't do anything either, except perhaps if he is already on their radar screen for other offenses), report him to the FBI with likely the same result. I'd like to cancel the current transactions as I haven't mailed them but I don't want to get a ding on my account. I don't want to waste time with regular customer service either, and the Ebay for Business FB page is shut down. Would the regular Ebay FB page be of any help?
baantiques
OP9 months agoContacted CS via the FB page. They were helpful, with their advice being to report the buyer to Ebay and then block them (LOL).
I sent the second round, since I don't really have a choice. I should have just refunded him and blocked after the first one but I gave him the benefit of the small amount of doubt I had. Probably a mistake but woulda coulda shoulda etc. It wasn't until he bought two of each the second time that it dawned on me.
I sent photos to him of what went into the mailer. I've got a message typed up that I haven't sent yet letting him know I know who he is and his history.
I'm still trying to work out what his con is. At best he gets a handful of brochures for obscure 80s cars which don't really sell all that well. Perhaps he's just trying to relive the glory days but in a low stakes way so that he can at least have the thrill of the con without risking going back to prison.
If he still tries the same thing I'll just let his file and item not received and go from there.
sin-n-dex
·9 months agoDon't tell him anything that you know, keep that to yourself. If he does it again you could try to file a police report, I don't know how that works in the US, but in Canada you file at your local station and it goes to some internet crimes division. They're very busy, so how many complaints will determine if any action is to be taken.
I know a whole lot of scandalous stuff about the guy who's "targeting" me (I use that term loosely, I think he just comes to eBay to steal stuff, and he keeps coming upon my store and buying stuff that he's going to do a chargeback on). I'm keeping all that under my hat. One day it might be useful.
C.
gurlcat
·9 months agoThe minute he told you that you could send the "missing" one with his next order -that was him calling you a liar about what you know you packed, and he knew dang well he was the one lying. But you were willing to go along with it at that point?
You do know about the Blocked Buyer List, right? -This kind of trouble is what it's for, the second you smell it.
rugerskick
·9 months agoYou need to block any buyer that claims stuff as soon as it trips your spidey sense. Precisely so they cannot order more items and cause more potential problems.
oldwestgold
·9 months agoYou can cancel the orders and note problem with address. That's what eBay suggested one time for me. You don't get a ding then.
onlinecentral
·9 months agoYour Cost of Goods must be trivial if you can sell 3 for the price of 2.
a) Option A is to send the replacement with the 6 units purchased more recently. That might not increase your label cost. There could be some additional profit for you by combining the 3 newer shipments. Maybe enough to offset the lost unit in the original shipment.
b) Option B
Put three Out-Of-Stock strikes on your account.
Risk getting negative feedback comments for cancelling.
Get a Not-As-Described return case for the missing unit, a ding on your seller metrics and pay the original and return postage.
inhawaii
·9 months ago"Targeted" seems a little dramatic to me.
bonanza125
·9 months ago"I'd like to cancel the current transactions as I haven't mailed them but I don't want to get a ding on my account. "
You will get dinged. This is the risk of selling online. You will get buyers who are fraudsters. I would report the situation to Ebay so they will have a note of it. That doesn't mean anything will happen but for future reference it's been documented. Ebay will handle it eventually cause this person will get banned in due time. The police department will just tell you to contact Ebay. So any form of reports to law enforcement will lead to nothing until there is an investigation.
dolcetreasures
·9 months agoI’d call him out, that’s the only thing that I have found that works against this type of human excrement.
12345jamesstamps
·9 months agoSo, when you sold 2 same items...shipped together...even though it's one package...did you place the tracking number on each item and not as a package?
I sometimes sell 20-30 items(stamps) to a buyer and even though it is one package I will put that tracking number on each of the 20-30 items sold.
And I actually take a photo of postage with tracking onf the package and use that for sending to the buyer
when there is a problem...works for me especially[ecially with international buyers.
There isn't much you can do about the past but look ahead of the future.
Check you buyers feedbacks...time consuming but it can pay off in the long run.
soh.maryl
·9 months agoSince buyer's FB can only be positive, the only FB info that could be helpful would be the FB the buyer leaves for sellers. But you know that, right?
kntacklecyprus
·9 months agoShip each item on separate shipments, one tracking number for each one. as soon as you ship them, go to your account settings and block this specific buyer
ltldpr
·9 months ago"the Ebay for Business FB page is shut down. Would the regular Ebay FB page be of any help?"
I believe the eBay for Business page on Facebook has been shut down for a while. Use the regular one and send them a message.
And please update us when you can. I'm intrigued.
https://www.facebook.com/eBay/
luckythewinner
·9 months agoWell, the next day he doesn't just buy two, he buys two each of three different ones for a total of 6. At this point I can see what's coming
You could also have seen the same thing coming if he had just bought two.
baantiques
OP9 months agoIt's somewhat unusual, but it happens enough that I'd probably be wrong if I assumed it was fraud.
kensgiftshop
·9 months agoYou could cancel the order, but you'll have to choose out of stock as the reason and earn a defect.
stainlessenginecovers
·9 months ago@kensgiftshop or use 'problem with address' to save the defect and the reason for that is 'A Thieving Fraudster lives at that address so I'm not shipping anything there... and THAT's a problem!
kensgiftshop
·9 months agoUntil the buyer complains that the seller used the wrong reason to cancel the order.
They just received one order, it would be hard for the seller to say there's a problem with the address now.
sin-n-dex
·9 months agoI had one recently (targeted might be an exaggeration since years go by between this guy purchasing me, each time with a new account, a new name and a new address).
On his last order I cancelled and sent a message that he filed an INR against my store in the past and was refunded, as such we will not be shipping any more orders to him. He's on my BBL seven times now, for all his different accounts.
Buyer replies "no need to cancel the order, it's been paid in full, please ship it", but when I sent the message to say I was cancelling, I hit cancel almost immediately, so it was cancelled. He also told me he didn't know what I was talking about.
A few weeks later he filed chargebacks on everything he ordered on eBay and got himself NARU. The seller I know who got three chargebacks from this guy (three orders over 2 months shipped separately) messaged me that he saw I had left him FB on his paid for order (which is automated), told me if I hadn't shipped yet to cancel, the guy's a thief. I replied I already knew that, I've known him for 12 years. That seller was able to keep his money (on two out of three orders last I heard), but the financial institution sided with the thief.
So yes, you can cancel for problem with address to deal with a problem buyer.
However the OP's problem is he didn't ship the replacement immediately (or refund it, either way it's an INAD), and then BBL to not deal with him again. but letting him purchase again he's backed himself into a corner where he has to ship, or take a defect (and possibly neg FB).
C.
oldwestgold
·9 months agoNot really. eBay has told me to use problem with address several times. I have used it several times in the past. And yes, I have the chat transcript of eBay CS telling me that, which they will have to stand by. As long as I have the chat transcript, a supervisor has always stood by what the CS stated. That's my repeat experience, and maybe not yours.
selsa84
·9 months agoRefund what u haven't shipped and block him.